Building construction

ABSTRACT

The domed building construction comprises a plurality of tapered, inwardly-bowed panels which are interconnected in endto-end relationship to form tapered, vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending outwardly-concave, troughlike rows. The rows are interconnected in side-by-side relationship, and exterior truss means circumscribes the joined rows of panels and is connected thereto.

Blaski United States Patent [1 1 [52] US. Cl. 52/81, 52/82 [51] Int. Cl E04b 1/32, E04b 7/08 [58] Field of Search 52/80, 81, 86, 83', 7 52/90, 248, 222

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,495,365 2/1970 Blaski .1 52/82 2,274,949 3/1942 Blaski 52/86 2,271,451 1/1942 Blaski 52/86 3,276,171 10/1966 Brown 52/86 3,546,826 12/1970 Chapman 52/80 3,557,501 1/1971 Filed:

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Inventor: John F. Blaski, 1844 Miner St., Des

Plaines, 111. 60016 May 20, 1971 Appl. No.: 145,277

Kolozsvary 52/574 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 473,433 5/1951 Canada 52/86 713,247 7/1965 Canada 52/80 862,403 3/1961 Great Britain 52/248 Primary Examiner-Alfred C. Perham Assistant ExaminerH. E. Radaazo Attorney-Pendleton, Neuman, Williams & Anderson ABSTRACT The domed building construction comprises a plurality of tapered, inwardly-bowed panels which are interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form tapered, ver' tieally upwardly and radially inwardly extending outwardly-concave, troughlike rows. The rows are interconnected in sideby-side relationship, and exterior truss means circumscribes the joined rows of panels and is connected thereto.

3 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a building construction and more specifically to a domed building construction fabricated from inwardly bowed sheet metal panels. The structure is essentially self-supporting during the construction process. The component panels may be easily formed and readily assembled so that the structure is relatively low in cost and yet is stronger than domed building constructions of previous design.

The invention is an improvement over the domed building construction described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,365 issued Feb. 17, 1970. In that construction the component modules were constructed of several panels joined together with each of the panels having a double curvature. The present design is of simplified construction, making the entire structure easier to erect and less expensive to fabricate. The panels do not have to be placed under compression, and there are fewer joints; The structure has a superior compressive strength in the vertical direction, and the compressive load is carried more uniformly over the width of each of the panels.

Since the components are easier to fabricate and to assemble into the structure, the domed building construction may be constructed more easily and inexpensively than constructions of prior design. The building requires no scaffolding for erection, and it has a very high compressive strength permitting it to easily withstand the forces of high winds and heavy snow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a preferred form of the invention the building is constructed of sheet metal panels, each panel being tapered in one direction (top to bottom) and bowed inwardly in the transverse direction (side to side). The bowed panels are interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows. Because of their inwardly bowed configuration, the panels in each row form a substantially continuous troughlike concavity. The panels of each row are of continually decreasing width so that each concave row is upwardly and inwardly tapered, and the panels of each row are connected in side-by-side relationship to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows. Exterior bracing or truss means, preferably in the form. of one or more encircling exterior braces or truss members, transversely circumscribe the joined rows of panels and are operatively connected to the longitudinal edges of certain of the transverselybowedpanels.

In the preferred embodiment a compression ring is disposed at the apex of the dome structure, this ring being connected to the inner and uppermost ends of the inner and uppermost panels in each row. In addi' tion, there may be provided interior bracing or truss means in the form of one or more interior braces or truss members which interconnect the inwardly bowed central portions of certain of the'la terally adjacent panels.

Also in the preferred form of the invention, each of the panels has a pair of flanges which'extend radially outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof, and the transversely bowed panels. The outer edges of the flanges are preferably outwardly curved on a radius substantially that of the dome being constructed and each panel may have a flange with an edge portion adapted to overlap the edge of the opposite flange of the next laterally adjacent panel, thereby covering the joint between the adjacent panels. It is also preferred that each of the panels below the uppermost panel in each row carry a formation adjacent its upper end for supporting the panel above. This information may be in the form of a continuous channel element which is disposed on the exterior of each of the panels and opens upwardly 'to receive the lower end of the panel above.

While no scaffolding is needed for erection of the structure, temporary panel braces or stiffeners may be employed to retain the configuration of the panels during assembly, and temporary vertical braces may be employed during assembly of the first course of panels .in the structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a domed building construction embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of a portion of the domed building construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1 depicting the vertical joint between the flanges of two laterally adjacent panels and showing the interior and exterior bracing means;

FIG. 3A is a top plan view of one of the truss elements in the encircling exterior bracing means;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through one row of panels of the building construction;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view of several of the panels in one of the rows taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing the detail of a formation of the type which may be utilized adjacent the upper end of each panel for supporting the lower end of the panel above;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a portion of the exterior brace means;

FIG. 8 is a sectional elevational view of the exterior brace means taken substantially alongline 8 8 of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view showing the exterior of one of the panels with a temporary panel brace or stiffener in place;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view partially in crosssection showing the temporary vertical bracing which may be employed in connection with the first row of panels in assembling the construction;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of a panel blank prior to the bending outwardly of the flanges and the bowing inwardly of the central portion of the panel; and

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a templet which may be used for forming the flanges for each of the panels used in laterally adjacent panels and rows of panels are interconnected by means of these flanges. The exterior truss means is connected to the flanges of certain of the the construction of the domed building.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more particular reference to the drawings, the invention is shown in FIG. 1 embodied in a domed structure 20 formed by means of a plurality of sheet metal panels 22 which are connected together in endto-end and side-by-side relation to completely enclose the interior of the structure. In the illustrated embodiment the domed structure 20 is a portion of a sphere, and it is preferred that a spherical configuration be used. However, it will be appreciated that dome structures other than those of spherical configuration may also be constructed in accordance with the invention.

Each of the panels 22 forming the domed construction 20 is tapered longitudinally, i.e., from its bottom end 22a to its top end 22b as best illustrated in FIG. 11,

and along the opposite edges of the panel are integral panel flanges 24 and 26. The panel flange 26 includes an end portion 27, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The flanges 24 and 26 are bent outwardly, and the panel is bowed transversely inwardly so that the flanges 24 and 26 actually extend radially outwardly with respect to the dome being formed. Thus each panel is bowed so that it is concave outwardly. The longitudinally tapered, transversely bowed panels thus form truncated, oblique, conical segments. The sheet metal from which the panels are cut may be of relatively light gage and flexible.

The bottom and top ends 22a and 22b of each panel blank (see FIG. 11) preferably curve slightly inwardly toward each other, so that when the panel is bowed inwardly all portions of each end will lie within and define a plane, with the two planes defined by the two ends of each panel intersecting at a distance approximately-equal to the radius of the arc of the dome. In a spherical dome this would be the center point of the sphere. In the assembled structure each panel is angled radially inwardly in the same direction as the bowing (see FIGS. 4 and Since the center of each bowed panel is disposed radially inwardly of the panel edges the distance between the ends at the center must necessarily be less than the distance between the ends at the edges. The degree of end curvature will depend upon the degree of bowing and the radius of the arc (vertical) from which the dome is struck.

Adjacent the top end of each of the panels is a formation 28 preferably in the form of a continuous channel element which is disposed on the exterior concave surface of the panel and is upwardly open to receive the lower edge 22a of the panel above. This formation is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6. The channel formation 28 may be rolled or otherwise formed directly on the upper edge of the panel itself, but it is most conveniently formed separately of a substantially S-shaped molding which is welded or otherwise joined to the upper end of each panel.

The bowing of the panels 22 is a simple inward bowing so that there is but a single curvature in each of the panels. The curvature is in the transverse direction (i.e., side to side) with the axis of curvature extending in the direction of the flanges of the panel, which for purposes of description may be considered the longitudinal direction. Thus the bowing is visible in the horizontal cross section of FIG. 3 but'is not visible in the vertical section of FIGS. 4 and 5. In the preferred form of the invention there is no longitudinal bowing of the panels. As illustrated in FIG. 5 the innermost portion of each inwardly bowed panel is substantially rectilinear, and the panels are assembled in end-to-end angular relationship with respect to one another to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows.

The panels are interconnected by means of the panel flanges 24 and 26. Each of the panel flanges 24 and 26 is apertured to receive the fasteners 30. The fasteners 30'may be threaded fasteners such as bolts, or, if desired, they may be rivets. The panel flanges extend radially outwardly, and the end portion 27 of each flange 26 is bent laterally and then inwardly to form a channel for receiving the flange 24 of the next laterally adjacent panel. This is best seen in FIG. 3. The end portion 27 thus covers the vertical joint between the flanges of the laterally adjacent panels, and the threaded fasteners 30 extend through the joined panel flanges 24 and 26 and preferably through the end portion 27 to securely lock the two panels together.

It will be noted that the laterally adjacent panels are in staggered relationship with respect to one another. That is to say, the panels in each row are staggered with respect to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows. This results in the horizontal joints between the plates being staggered or offset from row to row. To accomplish this, in every other row the bottom panel is of half height, and in the remaining rows the top panel, i.e., the panel adjacent the apex of the dome, is of half height. This arrangement gives great stability to the structure since each full panel is connected to four laterally adjacent panels and is connected through these laterally adjacent panels to the panel above and the panel below. With the staggering of the horizontal joints there is no horizontal plane of weakness between the joints, and this staggering relationship permits the structure to be more easily erected since the only joint fasteners are those at the flanges of the panels. In other words, the staggering of the panels permits the panels in each row to be rigidly fixed with respect to one another because every vertically adjacent pair of panels is connected to the same flange of the laterally adjacent panels. Thus the flanges of the laterally adjacent panels, in effect, connect the panels in each row of panels.

As may be seen from FIGS. 1 and 4, the joined flanges present a smooth curvature. In order to accomplish this each of the panel flanges 24 and 26 has its outer edge curved on the same radius as the outer edge curvature for the finished composite domed building structure. In a dome which is a portion of a sphere the outer edge curvature for the flanges would be the radius of the sphere. Each of the flanges of each of the panels is thus formed with the identical curvature which is the curvature of the exterior of the building. In this way when the panels are assembled in end-toend relationship the curvature of the flanges will be smooth and continuous. The panels 22 themselves are not bent or bowed in the vertical direction, that is, from their top to their bottoms. Instead, they are angularly disposed with respect to one another. Nevertheless, due to the identical curvature of the flanges the over-all appearance of the structure is one of a continuously curving exterior configuration. Since the panels are only bent or bowed in one direction, it is much easier to form the panels, and with each of the flanges of the same curvature, a single flange templet may be employed as will be more fully hereinafter described.

At the apex of the domed structure there is positioned a compression ring 42 to which the uppermost tapered longitudinal ends of the last panels in the rows of panels are connected. The compression ring may comprise a circular hollow member of generally rectangular cross section whose outer side is adapted to be fastened to the longitudinal end of the panels 22 either by welding or by brackets and fasteners such as threaded fasteners or rivets. Such a ring is described in my US. Pat. No. 3,495,365. In many constructions the ring may be of L-shaped cross section, thereby reducing both the weight and cost while still providing more than adequate support and frigidity at the apex.

Additional structural support may be provided in the form of the interior and exterior bracing or truss means. The exterior truss means 32 is preferably in the form of one or more encircling braces or truss members which transversely circumscribe the joined rows of panels and are operatively connected thereto. In the illustrated embodiment there are two such encircling external braces 32a and 32b as shownin FIGS. 1 and 2. These external braces are concentric and disposed respectively in vertically spaced horizontal planes. Within its respective plane each of the braces circumscribes the joined rows of panels 22 and is operatively connected to the flanges of the underlying panels which it transverses. The same threaded fasteners which join the flanges of adjacent panels together may be used to join the braces to the panel flanges.

Each of the encircling external braces 32a and 32b includes a plurality of interconnected brace elements 34, each element having an elongated body portion 34a and a pair of oppositely disposed parallel flange portions 34b and 34c which extend from the body portion in the same direction. The brace element flange portions are apertured to receive the threaded fasteners 30. As best illustrated in FIG. 3 the length of the body portion 34a of each of the brace elements is dependent upon the width of the panels at the level of the brace. The body portions of the brace elements in the upper external brace 32a will be somewhat shorter than those of the brace elements in the lower brace 32b. This length is greater than the distance between the panel flanges at the bracing level, so that each brace element not only spans one of the bowed panels as a chord, but it alsoextends across the two flange joints at the opposite edges of that panel. In other words, the brace elements span not only one panel and its flanges but also the flanges of the adjacent panel. This is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 7. The brace elements thus actually overlap one another, and since the adjacent brace elements are preferably held in place by the same threaded fastener'30', to avoid interference they may be axiallyrotated slightly sothat the flange portions of these two brace elements will be canted or angularly disposed with respect to each other, as illustrated in FIG. 8. The interconnected brace elements 34 of each of the encircling external braces 32a and 32b serve to laterally stabilize and reinforce the panels in each radially inwardly extending row, and they further serve to stabilize and reinforce the rows of panels with respect to one another. I

in addition to the exterior truss means 32 it is preferred that there be provided interior truss means 36 which may be in the form of one or more circular braces disposed within the interior of the domed structure and operatively connected to the joined rows of panels. in the illustrated embodiment there are two such circular concentric interior braces 36a and 36b, each being made up of a plurality ofinterior brace elements 38. The interior brace elements 38 are lapped and connected to each other and to the inwardly bowed central portions of each of the panels 22 which surround by means of fasteners 40. The interior brace elements 38 thus retain the panels 22 in a state of compression. The interior braces 36a and 36b may be positioned respectively opposite the exterior braces 32a and 32b, or these interior braces may be staggered with respect to the exterior braces.

The domed building structure 20 is preferably supported on an annular foundation or base 46 formed of a suitable material such as, for example, reinforced concrete. This foundation may be part of a slab which is poured prior to the start of construction of the building. The annular foundation or base preferably has a recess 46a, the diameter of which is the same as the outside diameter of the building to be constructed. The first course of bowed panels 22 may be positioned in this recess. As previously indicated every other one of the panels 22 in this bottom course will be a half height panel, that is, a panel of approximately half the height of the other panels in the course, thus establishing the staggered relationship which is to be carried forth in the construction of the domed building.

Once the bottom courseof panels has been assembled by bolting together their respective flanges, the recess 46a in the foundation 46 may be grouted, thereby anchoring the bottom course to the foundation; It will be appreciated that additional anchoring meansmay be employed such as, for example, bolts or rods anchored in the foundation structure 46. Such additional anchoring means (not shown) is well known to those skilled in the art.

It is preferred that each of the inwardly bowed panels be initially rigidified by means of a temporary brace 4-8 which spans the distance between the panel flanges 24 and 26 and is connected thereto. This brace 48 is illustrated in FIG. 9, and it will be noted that the brace spans the concavity of the bowed panel, and the ends of the brace are preferably connected to the panel adjacent the panel flanges, and they are there connected by means of removable threaded fasteners 50. This connection leaves the flanges 24- and 26 free so that they may be bolted to the flanges of the adjacent panels without first removing the temporary brace 48. The

temporary braces 48 not only serve to maintain the proper bowing of the panels during construction, but they also facilitate the handling of the panels during construction. Under certain circumstances it may be desirable to apply temporary braces 48 to each panel of the construction, thoughthis adds to the cost of both labor and materials. It has been found quite desirable to use these temporary braces 48, particularly in connection with the first course of panels since the proper bowing must be maintained at this stage of construction. Once the panels have been inserted in place the temporary brace 48 may be removed so that the flanges of the panel may be connected to the flanges of the next adjacent panel. The temporary braces 48 serve to protect the panel during shipping, for the bow of the panel is maintained at all times by this temporary brace.

In addition, it has been found desirable to utilize a vertical brace 52 which is also of temporary nature and merely serves to hold each of the panels in the bottom course in a proper vertical orientation as they are being assembled. This temporary vertical brace 52 may be, for example, in the form of a wooden piece such'as a 2 4 affixed at its upper end to the upper end of the panel by means of a suitable fastener such as a nail or screw. Once the bottom course ofpanels has been fully assembled, there is no need for further bracing, and, as previously indicated, one of the features of the invention is the fact that the structure does not need scaffolding or the like in order to support it during construction. The structure is completely self-supporting during the construction phases once the bottom course of panels has been positioned.

' The degree of bowing of the panels is preferably on the order of about percent of the width of the panel, not including the flanges 24 and 26. Thus if the panel is to have an effective width as measured across the bottom of the panel of 58 inches, the blank from which the panel is cut is designed to have a width of 8.70 inches greater than this or 15 percent greater than 58 for a total of 66.70 inches across the bottom between the flanges 24 and 26. The panel is then subjected to bowing until the effective width between the flanges 24 and 26 is the established 58 inches at the bottom. The bowing may vary somewhat from the 15 percent of the width, however, this has been found a very acceptable amount of bowing. If the bowing is less the strength of the structure is adversely affected. If the bowing is greater the strength is not materially increased while the amount of material needed for fabricating the panels is materially increased. For best design the amount of bowing should be 15 percent plus or minus 2 percent.

The flanges 24 and 26 are identically constructed, and, in fact, theflanges of each of the panels are identical (with the exception of half panels which are only half of the length of a normal panel). The curvature of the outer edge of each of the flanges is the curvature of the over-all dome building construction, and each of the flanges at its midpoint is approximately 1V2 inches in width. Since the flanges are identical, they may be constructed using a single templet 44. The end portion 27 may also be of approximately the same width, and here again a single templet may be employed. While the end portions 27 may be eliminated, if desired, it is very desirable that these be utilized since this portion of the flange is used to cover the joint between adjacent flanges. Since one templet is employed for all these operations, it is obvious that one die may be utilized for cutting the vertical edges and punching the holes for each of the panels. This is a distinct advantage of the construction.

In the dome building construction it is preferred that the height of the dome be approximately one-third of the diameter of the dome. This is for purposes not only of visual appearance but also of economy since less material will be required. The size of the sheet from which the panels 22 are formed will depend upon the equipment and the availability in the particular locale. The panels may be formed on the site although it is preferred that they be roll formed and shipped to the site.

A domed building structure of 100 feet in diameter may be formed utilizing l6 panels in each row, each panel being approximately 4 feet in height and one of the panels being a half height panel. Although each panel is of 4 feet in height it will have an effective height of 47 inches because of the overlap of the panels in the vertical direction. The 100 foot diameter building will have a circumference of approximately 314 feet. This may be divided into 64 segments of 58.8

inches in effective width. For such a building the radius The domed structure 20 in the illustrated embodiment is provided with a doorway 54 which is framed into the side of the structure at the time the first course of panels is positioned. The doorway may conveniently conform to the taper and configuration of the panels so that the flanges of the panels may actually be connected to the sides of the doorway and so that the doorway actually becomes integral with the structure of the dome. If desired, windows may also be framed into the building in the same manner, as is well known in the construction of buildings. While normally the panels would be sufficiently wide to accommodate a door structure, if desired, the door structure may take in two panel widths. The same is true of a window which may take in one or two panel widths depending upon the design. In each case, of course, the frame of the door or window would be integrally tied into the supporting portions of the dome structure.

The opening at the top within the compression ring 42 may be closed by means of a clear cover (not shown) to form a skylight in themanner well known in the art, providing light within the structure during daylight hours.

While the construction features a novel overlap at each of the seams between the panels, it may be desirable to employ additional sealing means as a caulking compound or the like at the seams in order to make the structure completely watertight.

lt is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that many additional modifications and changes in various details may be resorted to without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A domed building construction comprising a plurality of longitudinally tapered panels bowed transversely inwardly to provide a U-shaped transverse cross section and interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows, the panels of each row being of continually decreasing width, whereby each row is upwardly and inwardly tapered, each panel having a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof, and the panels of each row being connected in side-by-side relationship with respect to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows with their flanges juxtaposed, and external brace means including a plurality of horizontally disposed brace elements, each brace element having an elongated body and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse end flanges, said brace elements being disposed with the end flanges extending inwardly and connected to the outwardly extending flanges of said inwardly bowed panels.

2. A domed building construction comprising a plurality of longitudinally tapered panels bowed transversely inwardly and interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows, the panels of each row being of continually decreasing width, whereby each row is upwardly and inwardly tapered, each panel having a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof, and the panels of each row being disposed in side-by-side relationship with respect to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows with their flanges juxtaposed, and external brace means including a plurality of horizontally disposed brace elements, each brace element having an elongated body and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse end flanges, each brace 3..The structure of claim 2 wherein the adjacent brace elements overlap and the end flanges thereof are canted with respect to one another, and said fastener means includes a penetrating fastener extending through and interconnecting said end flanges and said panel flanges. 

1. A domed building construction comprising a plurality of longitudinally tapered panels bowed transversely inwardly to provide a U-shaped transverse cross section and interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows, the panels of each row being of continually decreasing width, whereby each row is upwardly and inwardly tapered, each panel having a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof, and the panels of each row being connected in side-by-side relationship with respect to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows with their flanges juxtaposed, and external brace means including a plurality of horizontally disposed brace elements, each brace element having an elongated body and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse end flanges, said brace elements being disposed with the end flanges extending inwardly and connected to the outwardly extending flanges of said inwardly bowed panels.
 2. A domed building construction comprising a plurality of longitudinally tapered panels bowed transversely inwardly and interconnected in end-to-end relationship to form vertically upwardly and radially inwardly extending rows, the panels of each row being of continually decreasing width, whereby each row is upwardly and inwardly tapered, each panel having a pair of flanges which extend outwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof, and the panels of each row being disposed in side-by-side relationship with respect to the panels in the laterally adjacent rows with their flanges juxtaposed, and external brace means including a plurality of horizontally disposed brace elements, each brace element having an elongated body and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse end flanges, each brace element being disposed with its body extending substantially completely across one of said inwardly bowed panels and its end flanges extending inwardly adjacent said juxtaposed panel flanges, and fastener means connecting said juxtaposed panel flanges to each other and to said brace element end flanges and interconnecting adjacent brace elements to form a substantially continuous band encircling the joined rows of panels.
 3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the adjacent brace elements overlap and the end flanges thereof are canted with respect to one another, and said fastener means includes a penetrating fastener extending through and interconnecting said end flanges and said panel flanges. 